Your giveaway dream win can quickly turn into a major hassle if the email announcing you were a winner was actually one of the many sweepstakes scams trying targeting the gullible. Providing your private info to the scammers compounds the problem, and this is technically being “phished,” a victim of identity theft.

If you're running a business, and looking for more traffic and interest from consumers, it's a good idea to consider working with sweepstakes companies to run a giveaway. Sweepstakes, contests and giveaways in general create a lot of excitement and interest among customers and merchants, and it's your opportunity to promote your company economically.